Interior Design - homesyncing.co.uk

How to Choose the Right Bedside Tables

There are pieces of furniture we choose to make a statement, and others whose importance reveals itself rather more quietly.

The bedside table belongs firmly to the latter.

It is there at the beginning and end of every day, holding the lamp switched off last thing at night, the book we intended to read another chapter of, a glass of water, spectacles, hand cream and all the other small necessities that accumulate beside a bed.

We may barely notice it.

Until, that is, we choose the wrong one.

A bedside table that is too low makes reaching for the lamp surprisingly awkward. One that is too large can overwhelm a modest bedroom, while something too small quickly disappears beneath the assortment of things we expect it to hold.

Choosing the right bedside tables is therefore about rather more than finding something that looks good beside the bed.

The best ones quietly combine proportion, practicality and character — and make the bedroom work just a little better.

Begin with the bed

When choosing bedside tables, the bed is the natural place to start.

Not the colour of the walls, the rug or even the amount of storage you need.

The bed.

It is usually the largest piece of furniture in the bedroom and establishes the scale for everything around it. A substantial upholstered or wooden bed can comfortably sit beside more generous bedside tables, while a slender iron bedstead or smaller double bed may call for something lighter.

Height matters particularly.

As a general guide, the top of a bedside table should sit roughly level with the top of the mattress, or a little above or below it. It doesn’t need to be exact, but keeping the two reasonably close makes reaching for a glass of water or switching off a lamp much easier.

Mattress heights vary considerably, particularly with deep modern mattresses and divan bases, so don’t rely on the dimensions of the bed frame alone.

Measure from the floor to the top of your mattress.

It is a very small job that can save a surprisingly irritating mistake.

How high should a bedside table be?

There is no single perfect bedside table height because there is no single standard bed height.

This is why measuring your own bed is more useful than following a fixed number.

Imagine lying down and reaching naturally to the side. You shouldn’t need to reach noticeably upwards or drop your arm towards the floor.

A table approximately level with the mattress usually feels most comfortable.

There is some room for variation, of course.

A taller bedside table can work particularly well beside a high bed or substantial headboard. A slightly lower table can look elegant beside a lower bed, especially where you want the room to feel relaxed and uncluttered.

What tends not to work is a dramatic difference between the two.

A tiny low table beside a towering mattress will feel lost. An unusually tall cabinet beside a low bed can make the sleeping area feel enclosed.

Proportion is often more important than the measurement itself.

Think about what actually lives beside your bed

Before deciding whether you need drawers, cupboards or simply a tabletop, have a look at what is currently beside your bed.

Be truthful.

There may be more there than the beautifully styled bedside tables in interiors photographs would have us believe.

Perhaps you keep several books nearby. There may be reading glasses, medication, chargers, tissues, notebooks or the inevitable collection of hairbands and small objects that seem to migrate towards bedside drawers.

If that sounds familiar, storage matters.

A bedside cabinet with drawers allows the surface to remain relatively calm while keeping everyday necessities close at hand.

If you naturally keep very little beside the bed, something simpler may be more appealing. An open bedside table, small stool or compact occasional table can make a bedroom feel lighter.

The right choice depends on your habits.

There is little benefit in choosing a beautifully minimal bedside table if, within a week, everything you actually use is piled on top of it.

Consider the size of the room

Bedrooms often have less spare floor space than we imagine.

Once the bed, wardrobe and chest of drawers are in place, those seemingly generous proportions on the floor plan can become rather more modest.

In a small bedroom, bedside tables need to earn their place.

Look for narrower designs, tables raised on legs or pieces with an open shelf rather than a solid cabinet reaching to the floor. Being able to see some of the floor beneath furniture can help a smaller room feel less crowded.

In a larger bedroom, very small bedside tables can have the opposite problem.

They may look insignificant beside a king-size bed or tall headboard. Here, wider bedside cabinets can help anchor the bed and give the room a more settled appearance.

Again, it comes back to proportion.

Furniture should feel as though it belongs to the room rather than simply fitting into the available gap.

How wide should bedside tables be?

Width is partly a question of available space and partly one of balance.

If your bed sits between two walls with only narrow gaps on either side, the room has already made much of the decision for you.

Where there is more space, consider the scale of the bed and headboard.

A broad bed with a tall upholstered headboard can take fairly generous bedside tables without feeling crowded. Something smaller or more delicate will usually look better with narrower pieces.

There is also the practical question of what needs to fit on top.

A bedside lamp takes more room than you might expect, particularly if it has a broad shade. Add a book and glass of water and a very small surface can quickly become full.

If you already own the lamps you intend to use, measure their bases before buying the tables.

It is much easier than discovering afterwards that the lamp occupies almost the entire surface.

Bedside table or bedside cabinet?

The terms are often used interchangeably, but there is a useful distinction.

A bedside table tends to have a more open construction, perhaps with legs, a drawer or a shelf. It usually feels lighter and can be particularly effective in smaller bedrooms.

A bedside cabinet offers more enclosed storage, with drawers or a cupboard beneath the surface.

Neither is inherently better.

A table can make a room feel spacious and relaxed. A cabinet can bring order to a bedroom where storage is limited.

If your bedroom already has plenty of wardrobes and drawers, you may enjoy the lighter appearance of an open table.

If storage is precious, however, don’t waste the opportunity.

Those few bedside drawers can hold a remarkable amount.

Do bedside tables have to match?

No.

And this is where things become rather more interesting.

Matching bedside tables create balance and symmetry, which can be wonderfully restful in a bedroom. They work particularly well when the bed sits centrally against a wall and is itself symmetrical.

There is something calm about a bed flanked by two tables and two lamps.

But matching isn’t compulsory.

Older homes, in particular, often feel quite natural with different pieces on either side of the bed. One might be a small chest of drawers and the other a simple table. They can be connected through similar heights, materials or lamps without being identical.

This can also be useful when two people have different needs.

One person may want drawers; the other may prefer shelves. One side of the bed might have more available space than the other.

The important thing is that the arrangement feels balanced rather than accidentally mismatched.

Two different tables of roughly similar visual weight can work beautifully.

Don’t be afraid to mix furniture styles

A bedroom doesn’t need to come as a set.

In fact, combining different pieces often gives a room more character.

An old wooden bedside table can sit comfortably beside a contemporary upholstered bed. A simple painted cabinet might soften a room containing a substantial timber wardrobe. A newer bedside table with clean lines can bring freshness to an antique bedstead.

British homes have long contained furniture from different periods. Rooms change, pieces move around and furniture is inherited, bought and repurposed over time.

There is no need for your bedside tables to match your chest of drawers precisely.

Instead, look for a connection.

It might be the tone of the wood, the shape of the legs, the finish of a handle or simply the overall proportions.

A room can feel harmonious without everything being identical.

Choosing the right material

Bedside tables are touched and used every day, so materials matter.

Wood is an enduring choice for good reason. It brings warmth to a bedroom, works with both traditional and contemporary interiors and often becomes more characterful with age.

Painted furniture can introduce colour without overwhelming the room and is particularly useful if you already have several different wood tones.

Metal-framed designs tend to feel lighter and can work well where floor space is limited, while glass can visually disappear into a room, although it may require rather more enthusiasm for polishing.

Natural materials have a particular ease in bedrooms.

Timber, woven details, linen lampshades and ceramic accessories introduce texture without making the room feel busy.

Bedrooms benefit from things that are pleasant to encounter at close quarters.

Think about the lamp before the table is full

A bedside lamp isn’t merely decorative.

It has a job to do.

If you read in bed, make sure the lamp provides useful light at the right height rather than simply casting a pleasant glow somewhere around your shoulder.

The proportions of lamp and table should also work together.

A large lamp on a very small table can look precarious, while a tiny lamp may seem lost on a broad bedside cabinet.

Once the lamp is in place, leave some room around it.

A bedside table needs space for the ordinary business of going to bed: putting down a book, removing jewellery or setting aside a cup.

Not every inch needs decorating.

Allow room for a little personality

Because bedside tables are small, they are lovely places for personal things.

A photograph. A little ceramic dish. A book you return to often. Flowers from the garden in a small vase.

These objects don’t need to have been chosen because they belong to a bedroom.

In fact, something slightly unexpected often brings more character.

An old candlestick can sit beside a modern lamp. A small framed picture might lean against the wall. A favourite piece of pottery can hold jewellery or other odds and ends.

Keep it restrained enough that the table remains useful.

The bedside table should still have somewhere to put your tea.

Make use of awkward spaces

Not every bedroom allows for a conventional bedside table.

A chimney breast may leave an unusually narrow alcove. A radiator might occupy exactly the place where a cabinet ought to go. In an attic bedroom, sloping ceilings can make furniture placement something of a puzzle.

These limitations can lead to more interesting solutions.

A narrow console-style table, small stool, wall-mounted shelf or compact chest can all work beside a bed.

A chair can even become an occasional bedside table in a guest room, particularly if it is only required to hold a book and glass of water.

The important thing is not what the piece is called.

It is whether it does the job.

Don’t overlook the guest bedroom

Guest bedrooms have slightly different requirements.

The person sleeping there doesn’t need permanent storage for the collection of things that gathers beside your own bed, but they do need somewhere obvious and convenient to put their belongings.

A lamp, water glass, phone and perhaps a book should fit comfortably.

If possible, include a drawer or leave a little empty surface rather than filling the table entirely with decorative objects.

The most welcoming guest rooms quietly anticipate what somebody might need without making a fuss about it.

A working lamp, somewhere to charge a phone and a clear place to put a cup are small details.

But they are the details people notice.

Consider furniture that can have another life

A good bedside table needn’t remain beside a bed forever.

This is worth remembering when choosing one.

A small chest might later work beside a sofa. An open table could move into the hallway beneath a mirror. A compact cabinet might become useful storage in a bathroom or home office.

Furniture that can adapt tends to stay with us longer.

This is one of the pleasures of well-made pieces. Their usefulness isn’t tied to a single room.

Today’s bedside table might eventually become tomorrow’s occasional table, plant stand or hallway cupboard.

Choose something you like enough to imagine elsewhere.

Choose character over perfection

Bedrooms are intimate spaces.

They don’t need the formality we sometimes bring to more public rooms in the house.

That makes them a particularly good place for furniture with a little character.

An old bedside table with a mark on its top can be far more appealing than something pristine. A wooden cabinet with visible grain and knots brings warmth. A painted piece with slightly softened edges may make a room feel established rather than newly assembled.

This doesn’t mean everything needs to look aged or rustic.

Simply allow materials to be themselves.

Good timber doesn’t need to be perfectly uniform. Handmade details don’t need to be exact. Furniture that is used will eventually acquire marks.

A bedroom should feel comfortable enough to live in.

The finishing touch: leave some space

Perhaps the easiest mistake with bedside tables is to style them until there is no bedside table left.

Lamp. Books. Candle. Vase. Photograph. Clock. Decorative bowl.

And suddenly there is nowhere for the glass of water.

Begin with what you actually need.

Usually that means a lamp and perhaps one or two personal things. Add a book when you are reading it. Bring in flowers when there are flowers to bring in.

Let the arrangement change.

A bedroom feels more natural when it reflects everyday life rather than remaining permanently staged.

So, how do you choose the right bedside tables?

Start with the practical things.

Measure the height of your mattress. Measure the space beside the bed. Think about how much storage you genuinely need and make sure there is enough surface for a lamp and the things you use each evening.

Then consider character.

Would the room benefit from the warmth of wood, the softness of a painted finish or something lighter and more open? Do you want matching bedside tables for a calm, symmetrical look, or would two individual pieces suit the room — and the people using it — rather better?

There isn’t one correct answer.

The right bedside table is simply the one that feels comfortably in proportion, holds what you need and looks as though it belongs.

And when you switch off the lamp at the end of the day, put down your book and reach for that glass of water without having to think about any of it, you’ll know you chose well.

Take a look at our bedside tables 🙃

Further Reading: Affordable Decorating Ideas That Will Transform Your Home, Sustainable Chic: A Beginner’s Guide to Circular Design, The Psychology of Colour in the Home, How to Choose and Measure for a Dining Table

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How to Mix Old and New Furniture Successfully

There is something rather appealing about a room that refuses to reveal exactly when it was decorated.

An old wooden table might sit beneath a contemporary pendant light. A newly upholstered sofa shares the room with a chest that has belonged to the family for years. On a modern sideboard stands an old ceramic jug, while a favourite painting — perhaps inherited, perhaps found at a market one rainy Saturday — hangs above it.

Nothing quite matches.

And yet, somehow, everything belongs.

Learning how to mix old and new furniture is one of the best ways to create a home with character. Rather than choosing everything from one period, collection or style, it allows a room to grow naturally, bringing together pieces you have inherited, discovered and chosen for yourself.

Done well, the result doesn’t look deliberately ‘eclectic’. It simply feels like a home that has gathered its contents over time.

And that is often where the most interesting interiors begin.

Why old and new furniture work so well together

Homes have always evolved.

Furniture was once made to last for generations. A table might remain in a family while chairs came and went around it. A chest could move from bedroom to hallway, while newer pieces were introduced as fashions and ways of living changed.

The result was a natural mixture of periods.

It is only relatively recently that we have become accustomed to the idea of buying complete collections of matching furniture and creating a room all at once.

There is nothing wrong with that, of course, but something can be lost when every piece is the same age, finish and style.

Older furniture brings patina, craftsmanship and a sense of history. New furniture can bring comfort, practicality and cleaner lines. Put the two together and each can make the other more interesting.

The old prevents the new from feeling anonymous.

The new prevents the old from feeling like a period display.

Begin with something you love

The easiest way to mix old and new furniture is not to begin with a set of rules.

Begin with a piece you genuinely want to keep.

It might be your grandmother’s chest of drawers, an old farmhouse table, a vintage armchair or a battered wooden trunk picked up years ago and somehow carried from house to house.

Let that be your starting point.

Rather than asking, What matches this?, ask what might sit comfortably alongside it.

An ornate antique chest, for example, may not need another ornate piece beside it. A simple contemporary lamp can give it space to be noticed. Likewise, a very modern sofa can gain warmth from an older side table or characterful wooden cabinet.

Contrast is often more effective than imitation.

The aim isn’t to make a new piece look old or an old piece look new.

It is to allow each to be itself.

Don’t try to match every wood

This is one of the great worries when mixing furniture.

Can oak sit beside walnut? What about pine? Does a dark wooden sideboard work with a lighter coffee table?

Usually, yes.

Walk through an old house and you are unlikely to find every piece of timber in precisely the same shade. Different woods entered the home at different times and aged differently according to sunlight, use and care.

That variation can make a room feel richer.

The secret is repetition rather than exact matching.

If you introduce one dark wooden piece into a room filled with pale timber, it may feel slightly isolated. Repeat that deeper tone elsewhere — perhaps in a picture frame, lamp base, chair legs or small table — and suddenly it feels intentional.

Try to think of wood as a family of natural colours rather than a single finish that must be perfectly matched.

Grain, age and texture are part of its charm.

Let one period lead, rather than compete

Mixing old and new furniture doesn’t mean every room needs equal quantities of both.

In fact, rooms often feel calmer when one style quietly leads and the other provides contrast.

In a contemporary home, most of the furniture might be simple and modern, with an antique chest, vintage mirror or old wooden table bringing character.

In a period property, the balance might be reversed. Traditional furniture and architectural features can form the backdrop, while contemporary lighting, a modern sofa or a simpler coffee table prevents the room feeling too formal.

Think of it as a conversation.

If every piece is trying to speak at once, the room becomes noisy.

Give some pieces the leading role and allow others to support them.

Use shape to create harmony

When furniture comes from different periods, colour isn’t the only thing that can connect it.

Look at shape.

A curved contemporary armchair might echo the rounded edge of an older table. The straight lines of a modern console can sit comfortably beneath a traditional rectangular mirror. Turned wooden legs on an old chair may be picked up subtly in the shape of a lamp.

These small connections aren’t always consciously noticed, but they help a room feel considered.

You can also use shape deliberately to create contrast.

A room containing a great deal of heavy, rectangular furniture may benefit from something round: a circular mirror, curved chair or round coffee table.

Similarly, an ornate antique piece can look particularly striking beside something much simpler.

Sometimes opposites make the best companions.

Mix polished with imperfect

One of the pleasures of older furniture is that it has usually lost its fear of being touched.

There may be a faint ring on a table, a worn handle on a cupboard or a small dent in the top of a chest.

These marks give a piece texture and history.

Place something like this in a room containing newer furniture and it immediately softens the surroundings.

The reverse works too.

If a room contains several rustic, heavily aged pieces, adding something with a cleaner finish can stop it becoming overly themed.

Pair a weathered wooden table with contemporary dining chairs. Place a simple modern lamp on an old console. Hang a clean-lined mirror above a characterful sideboard.

The contrast between refined and worn is often what gives a room depth.

Upholstery can bridge the gap

Fabric is one of the easiest ways to bring different periods together.

An old chair doesn’t have to retain fabric that makes it feel dated. Reupholstering it in linen, wool or a well-chosen contemporary pattern can give it another life without losing the beauty of its frame.

Equally, a modern sofa can sit happily in a traditional room when cushions and throws introduce colours or textures that relate to older furniture around it.

Don’t feel that period furniture requires period fabric.

Often the most successful combinations are unexpected.

A Georgian-style chair in a simple woven cloth can feel wonderfully fresh. A mid-century armchair covered in a traditional check might suddenly look quite at home beside an old oak chest.

The furniture provides the history.

The fabric can bring it into the present.

Use colour to hold everything together

When furniture comes from several periods, a considered colour palette can provide the thread that runs through the room.

This doesn’t mean everything has to match.

Instead, choose a handful of colours that appear in different forms.

Perhaps the green of an old painted cabinet is echoed in cushions on a new sofa. A warm rust shade in a vintage rug might reappear in a lampshade or piece of artwork. The honeyed tone of an old oak table can be picked up in baskets, picture frames or natural fabrics.

Walls are important too.

Soft whites, warm neutrals and earthy colours often provide an easy backdrop for furniture from different eras. Deeper colours can be equally successful, particularly where they make both antique timber and newer pieces feel grounded.

Rather than asking whether two pieces of furniture match one another, sometimes it is more useful to ask whether they both belong within the room’s wider palette.

Don’t turn your home into a theme

There is a difference between taking inspiration from a period and recreating it.

A cottage doesn’t need every piece of furniture to be rustic.

A Victorian house doesn’t require exclusively Victorian furniture.

And a modern home needn’t contain only contemporary design.

Architecture and furniture don’t have to come from the same moment in history.

Indeed, contrast can make the original features of a building more noticeable. A simple contemporary table can draw attention to old floorboards. A modern chair can look striking beside a traditional fireplace. An antique cabinet can bring warmth to a newly built room.

Allow the building to have its history and the furniture to have its own.

Your home is where those stories meet.

Give statement pieces some breathing room

If you own a particularly beautiful old piece, resist the temptation to surround it with several other pieces competing for attention.

Give it room.

An old sideboard beneath a simple mirror can have far more presence than the same sideboard crowded with decorative furniture and objects.

The same applies to striking contemporary design.

A sculptural chair or modern console can look wonderful in a room containing older furniture precisely because it is different.

Not every gap needs filling.

Empty space helps us notice what is there.

Use lighting to bring periods together

Lighting is particularly good at crossing the divide between old and new.

A contemporary lamp on an antique table can make both pieces feel more interesting. Likewise, a traditionally shaped lamp can soften the clean lines of a modern sideboard.

Think beyond the style of the lamp itself and consider the light it produces.

Warm pools of light help furniture of different periods sit together naturally. A table lamp beside an old armchair, a pair of lamps on a newer console or a floor lamp illuminating an inherited cabinet can draw separate pieces into the same atmosphere.

After dark, it is often the lighting rather than the furniture that makes a room feel whole.

Remember the smaller pieces

Mixing old and new doesn’t always require a large antique wardrobe or designer sofa.

Small pieces can completely alter the character of a room.

An old stool beside a modern bath. A vintage mirror above a new console table. An antique occasional chair in the corner of a contemporary bedroom. A modern lamp on an old bedside table.

These smaller combinations are a good place to begin if you are nervous about mixing styles.

They also make rooms easier to change.

A small table can move from the sitting room to a hallway. A chair can travel from bedroom to landing. A mirror that once hung above a fireplace might later find a home above a sideboard.

Furniture becomes part of the household rather than permanently attached to one particular room.

Be careful with too much ‘faux old’

There is nothing wrong with new furniture inspired by traditional designs.

In fact, it can be an excellent way to introduce character when genuine antiques aren’t practical or available.

But a room can begin to feel artificial if everything has been deliberately distressed, aged or designed to look as though it has been there for centuries.

Let some things simply be new.

A beautifully made new wooden table doesn’t need false scratches to earn its place beside an antique chair. It will acquire its own marks soon enough.

Authenticity comes from the mixture.

Old things can look old. New things can look new.

Time will take care of the rest.

Choose furniture for quality, not just age

Old doesn’t automatically mean good, just as new doesn’t automatically mean disposable.

What matters is how a piece has been made.

Look at proportion, materials and construction. Open drawers. Notice joints and handles. Consider whether the piece feels sturdy enough for the job it is expected to do.

This idea has deep roots in British design.

The Arts and Crafts movement emerged partly as a reaction against poor-quality mass production, placing renewed importance on traditional craftsmanship, useful objects and honest materials.

Those principles still make sense in a modern home.

Whether a piece was made a hundred years ago or last month, furniture that has been thoughtfully designed and properly constructed is far easier to live with — and far more likely to become the ‘old furniture’ of the future.

Let personal objects connect the room

Furniture may provide the structure of a room, but smaller possessions give it personality.

Books, ceramics, pictures, photographs, baskets and objects gathered over the years can help connect furniture from very different periods.

A contemporary sideboard topped with old family photographs immediately feels more personal. A modern coffee table carrying a stack of well-loved books loses some of its newness. An antique cabinet displaying contemporary ceramics begins to feel relevant rather than preserved.

This is where a home stops being an exercise in interior design and starts becoming yours.

Objects don’t need to be valuable to matter.

They simply need a reason to be there.

Allow the room to evolve

Perhaps the most important thing to remember when mixing old and new furniture is that you don’t have to get everything right at once.

Rooms need time.

Live with the old table before deciding what chairs it needs. Move the inherited cabinet to another wall. Try the contemporary lamp on the antique sideboard. Bring a chair downstairs and see whether it suddenly makes sense somewhere unexpected.

Some combinations will work immediately.

Others won’t.

That is part of the pleasure.

The most characterful homes are rarely the result of following a formula. They are built gradually from useful things, beautiful things, inherited things and things discovered simply because somebody couldn’t quite bear to leave them behind.

A home with more than one story

Perhaps that is why old and new furniture sit together so naturally.

They remind us that a home doesn’t belong to a single moment.

The old table carries whatever happened around it before. The new chair belongs to life as it is now. In time, that chair will acquire its own faded patch, scratched leg or familiar creak, and the distinction between ‘old’ and ‘new’ will matter rather less.

So don’t worry too much about whether everything matches.

Look instead for balance, good materials and pieces you genuinely want to live with.

Keep the inherited chest.

Choose the new sofa you love.

Put the modern lamp on the old table and see what happens.

A home becomes interesting when different stories are allowed to share the same room.

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Create a Beautiful but Lived In Home

There is a particular kind of home that is difficult to describe, yet instantly recognisable when you step through the door.

It is beautiful, certainly, but not immaculate. There may be books beside a chair, flowers gathered loosely into a jug and a pair of well-worn shoes by the back door. The furniture hasn’t all come from the same collection and not everything is perfectly matched. An old table might bear the faint marks of countless family meals, while a newer lamp sits quite happily beside it.

Nothing feels too precious.

And, most importantly, you feel that you can sit down.

Creating a beautiful home that still feels lived in is less about achieving a particular interior style and more about finding a balance: between old and new, order and imperfection, things chosen for their beauty and things kept because they mean something.

The loveliest homes are rarely finished. They grow.

Start with how you actually live

Before thinking about colours, furniture or decorative objects, consider something more fundamental.

How do you use your home?

Not how you imagine you ought to use it, but how life really happens within its walls.

Perhaps everyone gravitates towards the kitchen rather than the sitting room. Maybe the dining table is used as much for homework and paperwork as it is for dinner. Perhaps a supposedly decorative chair in the bedroom permanently holds tomorrow’s clothes.

These habits matter.

A home feels comfortable when it accommodates everyday life rather than constantly asking its inhabitants to behave differently.

Arrange furniture around the things you genuinely do. Put a lamp beside the chair where somebody actually reads. Give keys a bowl near the door where they are naturally put down. Place a side table within reach of the sofa rather than wherever it looks most symmetrical.

Good interiors begin with usefulness.

Beauty tends to follow.

Don’t buy everything at once

Few things make a room feel less lived in than everything being perfectly coordinated.

A matching furniture set may be convenient, but rooms often become more interesting when their contents have arrived at different times and from different places.

This is something older houses teach us particularly well.

Their interiors evolved. Furniture was moved between rooms, inherited, repaired and adapted. New things appeared alongside old ones. Styles overlapped because life overlapped.

There is no reason a modern home should be different.

A contemporary sofa can sit beside an antique table. A rustic wooden sideboard can work beneath a modern print. An inherited chair can be reupholstered rather than replaced simply because its fabric no longer suits the room.

Give yourself permission to leave a space unfinished while you wait for the right piece.

A home gathered slowly usually tells a more interesting story than one bought in an afternoon.

Mix old and new furniture

One of the easiest ways to create a home that feels established is to mix furniture from different periods.

Too much newness can make a room feel like a showroom. Too much old furniture, unless carefully handled, can make it feel heavy.

Together, they often bring out the best in each other.

The clean shape of a newer sofa might make an old chest look more characterful. A contemporary lamp can bring freshness to a traditional console table. An aged wooden cabinet can add warmth to a simple modern room.

Don’t worry excessively about matching woods, either.

Oak, pine, walnut and painted finishes have lived together in houses for generations. What matters more is balance. If one dark piece feels isolated, repeat a similar tone somewhere else — perhaps in a picture frame, lamp base or smaller table.

The result should feel connected rather than coordinated.

Choose natural materials that improve with age

Some materials are particularly good at being lived with.

Wood develops marks and variations. Linen softens. Leather creases. Brass loses its brightness and gains a patina. Stone bears subtle evidence of years of use.

These changes aren’t necessarily flaws.

They are part of what gives a home character.

Natural materials can be particularly helpful when you want an interior to feel relaxed because they rarely look completely uniform, even when new. The grain of timber, weave of linen and variations in handmade ceramics introduce subtle irregularity.

And those irregularities matter.

A room in which every surface is flawless can feel curiously impersonal. A room containing materials that change with time tends to feel warmer.

When choosing furniture, ask yourself not only how it looks today, but how it might look after five or ten years of ordinary life.

The best pieces often become better companions with age.

Let useful things be beautiful

We sometimes divide our possessions into two camps: the practical things we need and the beautiful things we display.

The distinction needn’t be so clear.

A basket can hold blankets and look lovely beside the sofa. A ceramic bowl can collect keys in the hallway. Books can provide colour as well as something to read. A wooden bench can offer somewhere to sit while also filling an awkward stretch of wall.

This is an old idea, but a useful one.

Homes have always contained objects that are both practical and pleasing to look at: earthenware jugs, woven baskets, wooden stools, candlesticks, quilts and well-made furniture.

Bringing usefulness and beauty together reduces the need to decorate simply for decoration’s sake.

It also makes rooms feel believable.

The things are there because they have a purpose.

Display the things that tell your story

There is little point in creating a beautiful home if, in the process, you remove everything that makes it yours.

Photographs matter. So do children’s drawings, inherited objects, favourite books, holiday finds and the slightly peculiar ornament that would never be chosen by an interiors stylist but makes you smile whenever you see it.

These are the things that separate a home from a photograph of a home.

The trick is not necessarily to display everything at once.

Bring together small collections. Hang a group of pictures rather than scattering them around the room. Give treasured objects enough space to be noticed. Rotate things occasionally, putting some away and rediscovering them later.

A display becomes more interesting when there is a reason behind it.

A shelf of books you have actually read will always have more personality than books chosen because their spines match the wallpaper.

Allow furniture to show signs of life

There is a moment in the life of a new dining table when the first scratch feels like a minor disaster.

Then comes another.

Eventually, you stop counting.

Years later, those marks become almost invisible because they belong to the table’s history: meals eaten, homework completed, Christmas presents wrapped, cups of tea put down without coasters despite repeated requests to the contrary.

Of course, good furniture should be looked after. But looking after something isn’t the same as keeping it untouched.

A home isn’t a museum.

Wooden furniture can be polished and maintained. Upholstery can be cleaned. Stone can be cared for. Yet expecting everything to remain pristine can make a room uncomfortable to inhabit.

Buy things that are capable of being used.

Then use them.

Don’t style every surface

A sideboard does not necessarily need three candlesticks, two books, a vase, a tray and an artfully placed decorative object.

Sometimes it needs a lamp and a bowl.

Perhaps some flowers when there are flowers in the garden.

Leaving a little empty space is one of the simplest ways to make a home feel calm without making it feel sparse.

It also leaves room for life.

A console table might temporarily hold a parcel waiting to be posted. The dining table might acquire a vase of daffodils in spring and a bowl of apples in autumn. A side table needs somewhere to put a cup of tea.

If every surface has been styled to completion, ordinary life becomes an intrusion.

Leave some room for it.

Books make a home feel inhabited

Books have a remarkable ability to settle a room.

They soften shelves, bring colour and give otherwise decorative spaces a sense of purpose. A few beside an armchair suggest that somebody actually sits there. Cookery books in a kitchen and gardening books near a back door quietly connect the room with the life taking place around it.

There is no need to organise them by colour.

Unless, of course, that is genuinely how you like to organise books.

Arrange them in the way that makes sense to you. Some can stand upright, others can lie in small stacks. Larger books can sit on a coffee table or console, particularly if they are ones you enjoy returning to.

Books are personal objects.

Let them look personal.

Bring the garden indoors

Flowers can make even the most carefully decorated room feel more relaxed.

They needn’t be elaborate arrangements.

In fact, something cut from the garden often feels more at home than a perfectly constructed bouquet. A few branches in a tall vase, sweet peas in a little jug or autumn seed heads gathered into an old pot can be enough.

Houseplants have a similar effect.

Their shapes are irregular. They grow in unexpected directions. Leaves appear and occasionally fall. They introduce something alive into rooms dominated by straight lines and solid objects.

This gentle unpredictability helps soften an interior.

And the display naturally changes with the seasons — blossom in spring, garden flowers through summer, berries and foliage in autumn, evergreen branches in winter.

A home needn’t look exactly the same throughout the year.

Make lighting feel natural

Few things alter the atmosphere of a room as quickly as lighting.

A beautiful room can feel surprisingly unwelcoming beneath one bright overhead light.

Instead, think in layers.

Table lamps on sideboards and console tables create pools of light. A floor lamp beside a chair makes a corner inviting. Wall lights can gently illuminate pictures, bookshelves or architectural details.

As evening arrives, different lamps can be switched on according to how the room is being used.

This variation is important.

It means the room changes with the day rather than remaining permanently illuminated in the same way.

A home should look different at half past eight on a winter evening from how it looks at midday in June.

Embrace a little asymmetry

Perfect symmetry can be wonderfully satisfying, but too much of it can make a home feel formal.

Try allowing things to sit slightly more naturally.

A lamp at one end of a sideboard might be balanced by flowers and a small stack of books at the other rather than another identical lamp. Pictures can be grouped in a collection instead of arranged with mathematical precision. An armchair can turn towards the window rather than sitting squarely against a wall.

Rooms don’t always need to be centred.

Often, the slightly unexpected placement of a piece of furniture is what gives the space character.

This is particularly true in older houses, where alcoves, fireplaces, uneven walls and oddly positioned doors have always required a certain amount of improvisation.

Rather than seeing awkward architecture as something to overcome, work with it.

Give every room something with age

Not every home comes with beams, old floorboards and centuries of history.

Nor does it need to.

One or two older pieces can bring a surprising amount of depth to a newer room.

It might be an old mirror, a vintage stool, a battered wooden trunk or a piece of furniture inherited from family. It needn’t be valuable. Its usefulness lies partly in the fact that it has already had a life.

If antiques aren’t for you, look for furniture made from tactile natural materials or pieces with a sense of craftsmanship and permanence.

Character doesn’t have to mean grand.

A simple wooden table can have as much presence as an ornate cabinet.

Hide some clutter, but not all of it

A lived-in home isn’t the same thing as a cluttered home.

Storage matters.

Sideboards, cabinets, baskets and drawers give everyday possessions somewhere to go and allow the things you do want to see to stand out.

The aim, however, isn’t to remove every trace of daily life.

A blanket folded over an armchair, spectacles beside a book or a pair of boots near the door can make a room feel occupied rather than untidy.

Think of it as editing rather than clearing.

Hide the cables, paperwork and practical clutter that distracts you.

Keep the things that say somebody lives here.

Create a home that can change with you

Perhaps the greatest mistake we make when decorating is believing that one day the house will be finished.

It probably won’t be.

And that is rather the point.

Rooms change because our lives change. Furniture moves. Children grow. New pictures arrive. Old pieces are inherited. Something bought for the hallway finds its way into the bedroom, while the chair that never quite worked in the sitting room suddenly looks completely at home in the kitchen.

Allow for that.

Choose furniture you can imagine using in more than one place. Buy objects because you love them rather than because they complete a particular ‘look’. Give yourself permission to rearrange things when a room no longer works as it once did.

The most enduring homes aren’t frozen at the moment they were decorated.

They evolve.

The beauty of a lived-in home

A beautiful home does not have to be a perfect one.

Quite the opposite.

Its beauty can lie in the worn arm of a favourite chair, the uneven row of books, the flowers beginning to droop in yesterday’s vase and the dining table that has acquired a history nobody intended to give it.

These things tell us that a home is being used.

So choose good furniture and look after it. Fill your rooms with colours and materials you enjoy. Find places for the things you have collected and leave space for the things still to come.

But don’t be so concerned with creating a beautiful interior that you become afraid to live in it.

Move the chair towards the fire.

Put your feet up.

Leave the book on the table because you’re going to read another chapter later.

The loveliest homes are not simply looked at.

They are lived in.

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Console Table vs Sideboard: Which Do You Need?

There are some pieces of furniture whose purpose is immediately obvious. A dining table gathers people for meals. An armchair offers somewhere to settle with a book. A bed, thankfully, requires very little explanation.

Then there are those pieces that seem to overlap.

The console table and the sideboard are a case in point.

Both can sit rather handsomely against a wall. Both provide a surface for lamps, flowers, photographs and all the small things we gather around us. Both can bring character to an otherwise forgotten stretch of a room.

Yet they are not quite the same.

One is light-footed and remarkably adaptable; the other brings storage, substance and a reassuring sense of permanence. Choosing between a console table and a sideboard is therefore less about which one you prefer and more about understanding what you need that particular part of your home to do.

And, as is so often the case with furniture, the answer begins with the room itself.

What is a console table?

A console table is typically a long, relatively narrow table designed to stand against a wall.

Its slender proportions are what make it so useful. Where a deeper piece of furniture might intrude into a hallway or make a small room feel crowded, a console table can occupy the same stretch of wall while leaving plenty of space around it.

Today, we tend to think of consoles as practical pieces for hallways and sitting rooms, but their story is rather grander.

Early console tables became fashionable in European interiors during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Many were decorative pieces supported against, or even fixed to, a wall rather than the freestanding tables we know today. Elaborately carved bases, gilding and marble tops turned them into opportunities for display.

Modern console tables are generally rather more accommodating.

They may be made from timber, metal, glass or a combination of materials, and some incorporate drawers or shelves. Yet the essential idea remains: a console provides a useful surface without taking up too much of the room.

That makes it one of the great problem-solvers of the furniture world.

What is a sideboard?

A sideboard has rather more weight to it — both visually and practically.

Usually lower and deeper than a console table, a sideboard combines a broad surface with enclosed storage beneath. Cupboards, drawers and sometimes open shelving provide room for everything from table linen and crockery to paperwork, games and the collection of things for which no sensible home ever seems to have quite enough cupboards.

The sideboard has traditionally been associated with the dining room.

Its predecessors were practical tables used for serving food and displaying valuable plate. Over time, storage was incorporated and the sideboard developed into something closer to the form we recognise today.

Its role has expanded considerably since then.

You’ll now find sideboards in sitting rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, hallways and home offices. We may no longer need somewhere to display the family silver, but the need for useful, attractive storage has certainly not disappeared.

Console table vs sideboard: what’s the difference?

The simplest distinction is this:

A console table gives you a surface. A sideboard gives you a surface and substantial storage.

There are exceptions, of course. Some console tables have useful drawers and shelves, while particularly slender sideboards can resemble consoles at first glance.

But their proportions usually tell the story.

Console tables tend to be narrower and more open, often with visible legs and space beneath. This gives them a lighter appearance and makes them particularly suitable for smaller or busier areas of the home.

Sideboards tend to be deeper, more enclosed and visually substantial. They occupy more floor space but repay it with considerably more storage.

So, which should you choose?

It depends on where it is going.

For the hallway: usually a console table

There are few places where a console table earns its keep quite as well as a hallway.

Hallways are often narrow, awkward spaces. They must accommodate people coming and going, coats, bags, shoes and the daily muddle of keys and post, while somehow also providing the first impression of the home beyond.

A slim console table can do a surprising amount here.

Place a lamp on top and the hallway becomes warmer and more welcoming after dark. Add a mirror above and it can bounce light around a narrow space. A bowl or small tray provides somewhere for keys, while drawers can keep less picturesque necessities out of sight.

Most importantly, there is still room to walk past it.

A sideboard can work beautifully in a generous entrance hall, particularly if you need storage for shoes, scarves, dog leads and other outdoor paraphernalia. In a narrow hallway, however, its extra depth can quickly become noticeable.

Before choosing either, measure the space and leave a comfortable route through it. Furniture should make everyday life easier, not create a small obstacle course between the front door and the kitchen.

For the dining room: the sideboard comes into its own

If there is one room where the sideboard feels completely at home, it is the dining room.

Here, its storage becomes genuinely useful.

Plates, serving dishes, glasses, tablecloths and placemats can all live close to where they are needed rather than occupying precious kitchen cupboards. The top provides additional serving space when the table is full — particularly useful when Christmas dinner seems to require every dish in the house.

A sideboard also gives a dining room something it can otherwise lack: a focal point away from the table.

A pair of lamps, a large mirror or picture, a vase of garden flowers and a few favourite objects can soften what might otherwise be a very functional room.

A console can still work in a small dining space, especially when storage isn’t a priority. Its narrower depth makes it a useful place for a lamp or drinks tray without crowding the table.

But if you have the room and the things to store, the sideboard usually wins.

For the sitting room: think about what is missing

The sitting room is where the decision becomes more interesting.

Look around before deciding what furniture to buy.

Is there a long empty wall that feels unfinished, but the room already has enough storage? A console table might be all it needs.

Does the room suffer from the familiar collection of cables, games, paperwork, toys and assorted objects that never seem to have a proper home? A sideboard may be a far better investment.

A sideboard can also help balance a large room. Its visual weight makes it particularly effective opposite a sofa or beneath a large piece of artwork.

A console is gentler.

It can sit behind a sofa, beneath a window or along a wall without demanding too much attention. In an open-plan room, a console positioned behind a sofa can even create a subtle division between living and dining areas.

The question isn’t simply, Which looks better?

Ask instead, What does this room need?

Small room? Don’t automatically choose small furniture

It is tempting to assume that a small room always requires the smallest possible furniture.

Not necessarily.

Several little pieces scattered around a room can sometimes make it feel more cluttered than one well-proportioned piece.

If storage is the problem, a sideboard may actually make a small sitting or dining room feel calmer. By giving numerous smaller objects somewhere to disappear, it reduces visual clutter.

The important consideration is depth.

Measure from the wall and mark the proposed depth of the furniture on the floor. Masking tape is useful for this. Then walk around it.

Can doors still open comfortably? Can you move between pieces of furniture without turning sideways? Does it encroach upon a natural route through the room?

A few minutes spent measuring can prevent years of edging around a piece of furniture that was just slightly too large.

If you love displaying things, choose accordingly

Our homes tell their stories through the things we choose to keep.

A piece of pottery found on holiday. A framed photograph. An inherited clock. Books that have followed us through several houses. A vase that looks particularly good filled with branches from the garden.

Both console tables and sideboards provide a stage for these things, but in rather different ways.

The open structure of a console tends to make displays feel lighter. It is particularly good for a lamp, a few books and one or two decorative pieces.

A sideboard provides a broader canvas and can carry larger objects comfortably. A substantial lamp, artwork, ceramics and flowers can all sit together without looking as though they are balancing precariously on a narrow ledge.

Whichever you choose, resist the temptation to fill every inch.

Objects need a little breathing room.

A handful of things you genuinely enjoy seeing will usually create far more character than a surface crowded with things bought simply to fill it.

Consider what’s happening underneath

One of the often-overlooked advantages of a console table is the space beneath it.

A stool or small bench can tuck underneath. Baskets can provide extra storage. In a hallway, shoes can be placed below rather than left in the middle of the floor.

Or you can simply leave the space empty.

That glimpse of floor beneath the furniture helps a room feel open, which can be particularly valuable in smaller spaces.

With a sideboard, the opposite is true. Its enclosed form gives a room solidity.

Neither approach is better. They simply create different effects.

If your room already contains several heavy pieces of furniture, a console may provide welcome contrast. If everything is raised on slender legs and the room feels slightly insubstantial, a solid sideboard might be exactly what is missing.

Think beyond the obvious rooms

One of the pleasures of both console tables and sideboards is that neither needs to remain in the room for which it was supposedly intended.

A console table can make a lovely dressing table in a bedroom. Add a mirror and a chair or stool that slips underneath and it becomes a useful place to get ready without the bulk of a traditional dressing table.

It can also become a compact desk.

A sideboard, meanwhile, can provide excellent bedroom storage, particularly for folded clothes, bedding or towels. In a home office, it can conceal files, stationery and the less attractive necessities of working life.

On a large landing, either can transform an area that previously felt like little more than a route between rooms.

Good furniture should be able to move with us.

The piece bought for a hallway today might live in a sitting room in the next house and a bedroom several years after that.

Choosing a style that will last

Once you have decided between a console table and a sideboard, there is still the question of how it should look.

It is easy to be distracted by whatever happens to be fashionable, but larger pieces of furniture tend to stay with us for a long time.

Natural materials and relatively simple forms are often easier to live with because they can adapt as the room around them changes.

Consider what is already in your home, but don’t feel obliged to match everything.

Different woods can sit together beautifully. Old furniture can work alongside new. Painted pieces can soften a room containing a great deal of timber, while metal details can introduce contrast to more traditional interiors.

A home assembled gradually tends to have greater character than one where every item belongs to the same range.

Look for something that feels as though it could have a life beyond your current decorating scheme.

So, do you need a console table or a sideboard?

If you’re still undecided, come back to what you need the furniture to do.

Choose a console table when space is limited, you primarily need a surface rather than storage, or you want something visually lighter. It is particularly well suited to hallways, behind sofas, smaller dining rooms and those awkward stretches of wall that need just a little something.

Choose a sideboard when storage matters. It is ideal for dining rooms and sitting rooms, as well as larger hallways and bedrooms where its cupboards and drawers can help bring order to everyday life.

And if you have the space?

There is no rule saying a home cannot make good use of both.

Furniture for the way you live

Perhaps the best furniture is not the piece we notice first, but the piece we gradually discover we couldn’t do without.

The console table where the keys are always left. The sideboard drawer containing the tablecloth brought out every Christmas. The lamp switched on each evening as you come through the door. The cupboard that quietly swallows all the things you would rather not have on display.

These small acts become part of the rhythm of a home.

So when choosing between a console table and a sideboard, don’t begin with trends or rules about what a particular room ought to contain.

Begin with the room.

Notice how you move through it, what tends to gather there, what you would like to hide and what you would like to display.

Then choose the piece that earns its place.

Chances are, that is the one you’ll still be pleased to see many years from now.

Take a look at our Console Tables and Sideboards 🙃

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How to Make Your Home Feel Warm and Welcoming

A beautiful home isn’t always a welcoming one.

You can invest in new furniture, repaint the walls and carefully arrange every cushion, yet a room can still feel cold or impersonal. Creating a warm, inviting home is rarely about spending more money. Instead, it’s about making thoughtful choices that add comfort, personality and balance.

From the colours you choose to the way you arrange your furniture, even small changes can have a lasting impact. If your home feels like it’s missing something, these practical ideas will help you create spaces that are cosy, comfortable and genuinely welcoming.

Start with Warm, Natural Colours

Colour influences how we experience a room more than we often realise.

Cool whites and pale greys remain popular, but when used throughout an entire room they can sometimes feel stark, particularly during the darker months. Introducing warmer tones creates a softer atmosphere that’s easier to relax in.

Nature provides plenty of inspiration. Shades such as warm white, oatmeal, soft beige, olive green, clay and muted terracotta work beautifully together, creating interiors that feel calm without appearing dated.

You don’t need to repaint an entire room to make a difference. New cushions, curtains or artwork can introduce warmth just as effectively.

Add Texture to Create a Cosier Home

One of the quickest ways to make a room feel more inviting is by layering different textures.

Rooms filled with smooth surfaces and polished finishes often lack depth, even when they’re beautifully decorated. Mixing natural materials creates visual interest while making a space feel more comfortable.

Think about combining:

wool throws
linen cushions
woven baskets
wooden furniture
jute or wool rugs
ceramic accessories

Rather than filling a room with more decorative items, focus on choosing fewer pieces with interesting textures that complement one another.

Layer Your Lighting

Lighting has a huge influence on how welcoming your home feels.

Many homes rely on a single ceiling light, which is practical but rarely flattering. Creating several softer light sources instantly changes the atmosphere.

A table lamp beside the sofa, a floor lamp in a reading corner or wall lights that wash the room with gentle light all create warmth that overhead lighting cannot achieve.

Where possible, choose warm white bulbs instead of cool daylight bulbs in living areas to create a softer evening atmosphere.

Rearrange Your Furniture

Sometimes the biggest transformation costs nothing at all.

Furniture that’s pushed against every wall can leave a room feeling disconnected. Bringing seating together creates a more intimate space that’s naturally better suited to conversation.

Position chairs so they face one another, use a rug to define the seating area and place a coffee table within easy reach. The room immediately feels more balanced and more inviting to spend time in.

Make Your Home Personal

The most memorable homes reflect the people who live there.

Family photographs, favourite books, holiday souvenirs, artwork collected over the years and treasured heirlooms all add personality that can’t be recreated with shop-bought accessories.

Rather than filling shelves with decorative objects, display pieces that have genuine meaning. They tell your story and make visitors feel they’re entering a lived-in home rather than a showroom.

Bring Nature Indoors

Natural elements soften even the most modern interiors.

Houseplants add life, colour and movement, while fresh flowers or seasonal branches create simple focal points throughout the year. Natural wood, rattan, stone and linen also introduce warmth that synthetic materials often lack.

Even a single leafy plant placed in an unused corner can make the room feel fresher and more welcoming.

Choose the Right Rug Size

It’s a small detail that makes a surprisingly big difference.

A rug that’s too small can make furniture appear disconnected, while a larger rug helps anchor the entire seating area.

Ideally, the front legs of your sofa and chairs should sit on the rug, creating one unified space rather than several separate pieces of furniture.

The same principle applies to artwork. Choosing pieces that suit the scale of the wall creates a calmer, more balanced interior.

Don’t Aim for Perfection

One of the biggest mistakes people make is trying to create a picture-perfect home.

The homes we enjoy spending time in usually show signs of everyday life. A folded throw on the sofa, a book waiting to be finished or a favourite mug on the coffee table all help create an atmosphere that’s relaxed rather than staged.

A welcoming home should feel lived in, not untouchable.

Focus on Comfort in Every Room

Every room should invite you to use it.

In the living room, this might mean soft lighting and comfortable seating. In the bedroom, it could be layered bedding and blackout curtains. Even a hallway can feel more welcoming with a console table, warm lighting and somewhere to place keys and shoes.

Thinking about how each room functions often improves comfort more than buying new furniture.

Small Changes Often Make the Biggest Difference

If your home doesn’t feel as warm or welcoming as you’d like, resist the temptation to start again.

Instead, make one or two thoughtful improvements. Add a lamp to a dark corner, introduce natural textures, display favourite photographs or rearrange your furniture to encourage conversation.

Creating a welcoming home isn’t about following trends or spending a fortune. It’s about building an environment that reflects your lifestyle and supports the way you want to live.

Over time, these small changes work together to create something that every home should offer—a place where family and friends feel comfortable, conversations last a little longer and coming through the front door always feels like coming home.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I make my home feel warmer without decorating?

Adding textured fabrics, improving your lighting, rearranging furniture and introducing natural materials can all make a home feel warmer without repainting or renovating.

What colours make a home feel warm and welcoming?

Warm neutrals such as cream, oatmeal, taupe, soft beige, olive green and muted terracotta create a comfortable, inviting atmosphere and work well in both traditional and contemporary homes.

How do I make my living room feel cosier?

Layer lighting, add a rug, introduce soft furnishings such as cushions and throws, and arrange seating to encourage conversation rather than placing furniture around the edges of the room.

Why does my home still feel cold after decorating?

A room can feel cold if it relies on harsh lighting, lacks texture or has little personal character. Combining natural materials, warm lighting and meaningful decorative pieces often has a greater impact than changing the paint colour alone.

Further Reading: Affordable Decorating Ideas That Will Transform Your Home, Sustainable Chic: A Beginner’s Guide to Circular Design, Small Room, Big Impact, The Psychology of Colour in the Home, Renovating Without Losing Character

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